Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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111. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if, as part of the ongoing review of the National Development Plan, particularly in relation to national strategic outcome 10, he will review the stark under-provision of capital funding for provision of childcare facilities compared to capital funding allocations for other areas of social infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28048/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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NSO 10 refers to access to quality childcare, education and health services and aims to ensure that the co-ordination and provision of childcare places, primary and post-primary schools places and health infrastructure with the spatial development of cities and regions is consistent with the objectives of the national planning framework.

The Programme for Government has outlined 21 specific commitments on childcare, including a commitment for the first time to provide capital investment to build or purchase state-owned early learning and childcare facilities, to create additional capacity in areas where unmet need exists. State ownership of facilities is a very substantial and significant development and offers the potential for much greater scope to influence the nature and volume of provision available and to ensure better alignment with estimated demand. This will be advanced through undertaking a broad consultation and the publication of a detailed Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system with State-led facilities adding capacity.

As the Deputy is aware, my Department is currently undertaking a review of the National Development Plan. Throughout April and early May, Departments have prepared their submissions for funding which has been followed by bilateral engagement by my Department and individual spending Departments to assess investment plans and programmes within the context of the review. This series of bilateral engagements commenced at official level and is currently continuing at Ministerial level.

I will be launching the public consultation on the NDP Review which will be live on my Department's website and is open for submissions until the 26th of June. I would invite anyone who is interested, including members of the public, to respond to the public consultation and share their views on national priorities for investment. I will also be chairing a session on infrastructure prioritisation and delivery at the National Economic Dialogue, where interested stakeholders will have the opportunity to share their views.